![People shaking hands](https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/sites/ca.graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/files/styles/thumbnail/public/uploads/images/intercultural_2_01.jpg?itok=OLjvrjjR)
Are you speaking the same language? Language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are important for communicating with others, but effective communication requires more than just speaking the same language, it requires a fifth skill – cultural understanding.